


Kind Lies

by AgentStannerShipper



Series: tumblr ficlets [40]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 00:49:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17457461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentStannerShipper/pseuds/AgentStannerShipper
Summary: Merlin lied to two different people.





	Kind Lies

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“Jesus Christ, Mother, no.” 

Harry knows he really shouldn’t be listening to Merlin’s phone call. Gentlemen do not eavesdrop. But he can’t help it. He’s never met Merlin’s mother, never even spoken to her on the phone, and in the few years they’ve been together, Merlin has said very little about her. Given that, he can’t help but be infinitely curious about the mysterious woman who helped to raise the man he loves.

He presses his ear to the door, barely breathing to hear the conversation more clearly. Merlin sounds frustrated, “I told you, I’m not seeing anyone.”

Harry’s heart sinks. His stomach drops through the floor, and he swallows hard, biting his lip as unexpected and unwelcome tears bead up in his eyes. He hadn’t thought such a simple phrase could bother him so much, and he sniffles without even thinking about it.

He hardly registers the pause, and then Merlin saying, “I’ll have to call you back, Mother.” He slumps down against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest.

The door opens and Merlin looks down at him. “Harry?” His voice is full of concern, and that just makes everything a million times worse, and Harry can’t choke back the tears now, insistent as they are. “Oh, Harry,” Merlin sighs, kneeling down.

Harry shrinks back from his partner’s hands. “Not seeing anyone?” he spits out. “When was I supposed to get that memo?”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“And that’s supposed to make it better?” Harry asks. He glares at Merlin, who looks at a loss. He sits next to Harry, back against the wall, and doesn’t make another move to touch him.

After a moment, Harry says, “You said you told your family about us.”

Merlin hangs his head, “I did.”

“Did you really?”

“No.”

Harry rests his cheek on his knees, looking at Merlin, who can’t meet his eyes. “Why not?” he asks. “I thought…”

“It’s not you,” Merlin says “It’s-“

“I swear to god, if you say ‘it’s not you, it’s me,’ this conversation is over.”

“-It’s my family,” Merlin finishes insistently. “You’re…amazing, and I never thought I’d be able to love someone the way I love you.”

That’s…satisfying to hear, at least. Merlin continues, “I tried telling my mother about you, I swear. I know how much it meant to you. But my family isn’t like yours. My mother still won’t believe I’m gay, and when I so much as hinted at being in a relationship with a man she completely shut down. I can’t tell her.” He hesitates, and reaches out. Harry takes his hand without further prompting, and Merlin presses it to his lips. “I want to, love, I really do. But I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Harry closes the space between them, pressing up against Merlin’s side and resting his head on Merlin’s shoulder. “I forgive you,” he says. “I don’t like it but…I think I can understand it.”

“I love you,” Merlin says. “Please don’t think this means I don’t.”

“I love you too,” Harry says. “And you know my mother considers you good as family, right?”

Merlin nods, and gives Harry a shy smile, “I know.” He squeezes Harry’s hand, “Come on. Let’s get off the floor. Maybe make some dinner?”

“You’re not cooking,” Harry says firmly as Merlin helps him to his feet.

Merlin laughs, “Fair enough.” Neither of them dispute that the kitchen is Harry’s domain.

As they head downstairs, Harry pauses and asks, “Do you think you’ll ever tell her.”

Merlin’s expression turns serious again. “I don’t know,” he answers honestly. “Maybe someday.”

Harry will take ‘someday.’ Merlin loves him now, today, and that’s what really matters.


End file.
